A whole new party
by Radiklement
Summary: Sky's pirate life is full of adventure and excitement. But one year and a half after beating Vayne, Balthier must say that from all that he could have wanted to live, he wasn't expecting that! A few drabble of Balthier and Fran's life...
1. Chapter 1

Hi there! Radiklement's back with another fic. Yes, now, Balthier/Fran. Really, I'm just taking the most known couples of the game. Will I gave you a Basch/Ashe next time? Maybe not, I still hate the princess. Ah, poor Basch… Well then, no surprise for the couple in this fic. This should be a little fanfic, a collection of drabbles over my theory of what Balthier and Fran had of a life after the game. I've got no right over any characters, creatures, story facts, square-enix related things, no right over anything said before. Alright, now then, I'm a french writer. I'm not that bad in English, but if you find any mistake, it's maybe because I didn't realise it was a mistake. See, I write more by instinct than anything else…

I know that for now, it will seem a little fuzzy. There will be lotsa names, no description, but you'll figure all out sooner or later. So, get ready to enjoy Balthier's family!

A whole new party

A simple life

The sun was almost down. Almost. Fran was lying in her bed, smiling a bit while her partner was softly closing the door behind him. Tonight, Balthier had but one plan and this plan implied only two things. Them and…

"Daddy, Ran kicked me!" cried a little girl's voice.

Balthier closed his eyes, trying not to burst in anger. So long for his plans with Fran. The kids were still up and the sun already down.

"Waaaaahhhh!"

"Marika, it's my hair!"

"Give me back this moogle!"

"Help, captain, help me, kupo!" called out Nono.

"Eeeeyaahhhh!"

"Waaaaaahhhh!"

Fran sighed while getting back up but froze as the sky pirate upped one of his hands in front of her. She knew what meant his gaze. And she knew he was going to have his way, even if it meant imprisoning the kids in the storage room of the Strahl.

"I'm taking care of this, you don't move a finger," he said.

"Alright, Balthier. But they're six, and you're alone."

"Don't forget who you're talking too," he smiled.

Cautiously, Balthier unlocked the door, readying himself to step into enemy territory. He knew that he had to concentrate on this one, otherwise, he would find himself bound to play with the kids.

"Feyrj, he's coming out!"

"I'm ready, Bella."

"My hair's on fire! Help, Daddy!"

To hell with concentration, the situation was damn serious! Balthier jumped out of the room, caught his daughter by the arm and put out the fire in her hair. The door closed itself behind him and he stood tall before the enemies' line. His eyes were burning with anger and the children withdrew before to receive one last order.

"Ready, fire!" Ran shouted, almost throwing Nono in the ceiling while she jumped.

A little boy, with real bunny ears on his head, ran to the man, a wooden sword in his frail hands, a warrior's cry in his throat.

"Eeeyyaaaaaooouch!"

"Gotcha, kid."

The Viera boy stopped by his father tried to get out of his grip, to no avail.

"Ran, put down this moogle, now. He's a living being, and you lil' sky pirates are all far past your bedtime's hour. Must I release the Punishment? Zeromus? Is that what you want?"

"Marika've put my hair on fire!" wept Ella over her father pants.

She couldn't reach higher. He gave her a small hug, trying to check if all his kids where in sight. Ran, Trè, Ella, Bella, Feyrj. Yeah, they were all there. No… Wait a second!

"Where's Marika?" he asked, his grip tightening over Trè's arm.

"Owww! Dad, you mustn't squeeze like that, it hurts."

"Where's Marika?" he repeated.

Nono had already run away, happy to get out of his hostage's position. And as Balthier count and recount them, all the Viera, all his daughters, there was only four of them, five plus Trè, his only son. Then, it left only one possibility. Marika, who had put her sister's hair on fire, had run away. If not worst.

To lose a child is an awful feeling, especially when it's yours. After his pretended disdain, he was getting back to his anxious self, well, the anxious Balthier born with those six kids he and Fran had made together.

"Balthier, is everything all ri…?"

"I'm coming, just give me a minute to get them all to bed," the pirate whispered.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," moaned Bella.

Ella, her twin sister, was crying softly and silently, as she used to. Trè stand still, his little body tensed. He knew their sister Marika had a strange behaviour and that Feyrj was supposed to look after her all the time. He knew he was at fault for agreeing to Ran's plan. But after all, it was only a game. Their daddy knew it, didn't he?

"Ran, if you ever try again to…"

"Don't even think you understand me, poor Hume! I hate you, I hate you all, why do you have to always take HIS side! He's evil, can't you understand?"

No one could ever understand why, but Ran and Balthier didn't get along well. She was his daughter, but she hated him, truly and fiercely, and the poor man didn't know why. He loved the girl, sincerely, like all of his kids, but… She seemed to hate the fact that her father was a human being. After all, each of his kids looked like Vieras. Well, Trè was a boy, a problem to be called a Viera, but nonetheless, they were all like their mom. And Daddy looked a bit as them, but still, he was… a Hume.

Balthier frowned a bit, before to raise Ella in his arms and releasing his son.

"Shhh. Your mom is tired; we don't want her to worry. Trè, you're getting all of these girls back to their rooms and beds. When I'll come to wish you goodnight, if you're not asleep, I'll be sure to call out your mom and she'll get in one of her frenzy mood."

"Oh no, not that, please daddy!"

"You can't, it's just too much!"

"Daddy, I'm not tired!"

"I'm sleepy, carry me too, why is it always Ella?"

"It was you yesterday Bella."

He shut them all up by raising one hand.

"I'm going to look for Marika, okay?"

Trè had ordered his sisters in a nice line and was now showing them the way back to their rooms. He took any demand of his father very seriously and usually, the girls obeyed him. But, it was always easy for them to beat him up. They were greater in number and Balthier couldn't remember how many times he had to rescue the boy from his sisters. Not easy to raise six kids at the same time. It was terrible to raise those six kids with only his sky pirate's job. But it was worth it all.

They entertained his life more than any bounty hunters. He had to train them, to stop them from burning, stealing, or breaking any part of the ship all the time, and when it wasn't to recognize one of the twins or to protect them from real enemies, he found himself enjoying almost every part of it. The stress, the pressure, everything. Well, not the stress when he'd loose one of them. Especially Marika. But he ended by finding the little girl, in the cockpit, shouting silly orders in the mic.

"Marika."

"Oh no, help, help, red rabbit was found!"

"Red rabbit ?" he repeated, while Ella was snuggling against him with a tired and overcute sigh.

"It's because I'm on fire!" retorted Marika with a smile.

_She's not really on fire, pl__ease, tell me she's not really…_

Marika's clothes were a little more greyish than what they used to, but after a quick inspection, she wasn't burning. It didn't take too much time for the poor dad to realise that this one girl was a pyromaniac. A real one. It was such a deal to work with.

"Will daddy carry me, even if I've burned some of Ella's hair?"

"Only if you promise never to do it again."

"I promise, I promise!"

It took a long time before Balthier could go back to Fran and his plans. He was tired, felt bad for putting on Ivalice six little demons, but he felt content at the same time. He almost fell over his partner, sighing for himself.

"So, what about those famous plans?"

He yawned. Put a hand over his head.

"I'm so beat."

"Well, it's all your fault. Why did you have to treat them as if they were sky pirates? They're still seven years old!"

"And I'm thirty! It means they're twenty three years in greater shape than me."

Fran sniggered. When he complained like this, it could only means two things. He was going to throw out a tantrum or he was going to get really, really passionate.

"You know, you're still way too young for me. But I love you better that way."

She took his face in her hands, smiling weakly. It had never been easy. They were the first couple of Hume and Viera having children. But they were strong. The kids were still alive, and they both were too.

"I love you, she softly repeated. Don't ever forget that."

He let her kiss him, before to hold her in his arms. She was his partner in the sky and in life.

"I love you too, Fran."

He kissed her lips. Her face. _And you're the one who shouldn't forget_. he thought for himself. They both knew one of them would end up by dying before the other. And life seemed to say, it was Balthier who was going to die first, after all, he was only a Hume. She got rid of his clothes, their skin met. Then there was a bang on the door.

"Mom, Ran has wet her bed. Again!"

They stopped before anything could begin, Balthier's fist tightened threateningly. Before, the kids weren't as demanding as now. Now, they wouldn't go to sleep, wouldn't stay asleep the morning, wouldn't listen to anything, and wouldn't keep their bed dry through all night!

"This time, I'll go."

"Well, you're still dressed," he observed before to cover himself with the blankets.

He was quite bored.

"Wait for me," Fran said before to wink at him.

He yawned again and when she finally came back, Balthier was fast asleep. They needed all their strength to fight every day, to get money for the kids, and to keep the said kids in check. It wasn't the life they once had, surely not the life they had dreamed for but Balthier had the only thing he wanted. He was free. No debt to any man or woman. He was independent. And snoring in his sleep, looking just like those six children he'd gave her.

"Well, if it isn't my sky pirate. Goodnight, dear," she said before to snuggle against her man.

In his sleep, Balthier grabbed Fran, to shelter her with his arms. She was all he really had. With his airship and their family. She was his family. She was his liberty. His everything.

She replaced the covers over them both. The Strahl was quiet, his inhabitants falling asleep, one after the other. In the middle of the night, the parents were waked up by Bella, who'd made a nightmare. They took her with them, knowing that the next day, it would surely be Feyrj, or Ella or even Marika who would come. Still, with his daughter under one arm and Fran next to him, Balthier thought he had all that the leading man should have. Fran stroked their little girl's ears, humming a mysterious lullaby, known only in The Wood. _I want it to be like this forever._ he thought.

…to be continued…

yeah, Balthier's a daddy! Now, the next chapter, which will come faster if you give a lot of reviews, will be on how he got to be a father exactly. I could have done it the other way around, but I wanted to test it like this. And why did I choose this title? Well… Because there's six kids! Just like they were six members in our party for this game!

Okay now, I think it's alright with this. Just so you know, Trè isn't a typing mistake, I really intended to write it that way. I think it gives him a Viera sound, because it's short, and it's cool at the same time. Well, cool in my head, you don't have to share my opinions…

See ya!


	2. Chapter 2

Well then, another chapter ready. What about you? In this one, Balthier has a little emo phase, but I think he needed it. He's always too cool and dashing. You know where I'm going here, we're in the past and after one or two chapters, I'll go back to the funny drabbles with the kids. For now, I'm going to try and stay serious. I think I'm too damn serious, but we're out for drama and there's nothing as drama for me. Don't be afraid, Balthier don't linger too much on this emo phase thing, he's a big boy, and he knows I love determinate men. And he wants nothing more than to make me happy, as I could be way nastier to him. After all, I'm going to give him quite the present. Six kids, all in one shot! Hang in there, Balthier. And you too Fran. As for the readers, enjoy!

A whole new party

How it all began – Part one

It was one year and a half after Vayne's the undying death. Rabanastre had a queen, Archadia a young emperor and the sky was torn by even more sky pirates. Life was nice for most of them. Balthier's head fetched the highest price it ever had, since he had helped in saving the world, keeping Rabanastre's princess hostage the whole time. The leading man still felt content with his way of living. His ship was running Ivalice's skies. He was free to go anywhere and everywhere. All he wanted was smiling to him. Almost all, but it was enough. His partner was faithful, always ready with a wench in one hand and a bow in the other. And they were partners in every way. Especially when he would make her let go of the wench and bow in one of those rare passionate kiss they could exchanged. Lately, Balthier seemed even more in love than normally. He was still the ladies men, but his interests for only one lady were growing stronger each passing days.

That morning, Balthier couldn't remember the last night. All he knew was he felt half death. Even worse. His whole body was aching, his sight was blurred, his head was turning and he dizzily managed to get out of bed. He wore nothing but his pants, and it felt quite heavy already. He tried to reach the door but collapsed against a wall, his skin burning, his shoulders all tensed and his neck cracking with every move.

"What … what happened … here?"

His mind got a grip and he realised that the room was missing something. He used the wall to counterbalance himself back on his feet. Breathed hard one time, then two, then three. Alright, now, for that missing something…

"Fran?"

The word seemed strange in his mouth, as if he had never said it before. But at the very moment when he talked out loud, his brain came back in place. He knew that word. It was one of his favourite. That name… How many memories did he cherish with that name? Where was his owner now?

"Fran?" he asked again, more surely.

No answer. But last night, she was still here. So now, where could she be? Lately, they wouldn't leave each other more than a few minutes. They liked to fall asleep in the other embrace, and to wake up with a smiling face next to them. But today, nothing was right. Fran wasn't there. She was far, just as far as Balthier's conscience. But slowly, he remembered. Last night was different from any other. Last night, the Viera was… quite angry. He had tried to understand, he really had, but she didn't help him to get to the truth. She was acting strangely lately. And as he totally woke up, Balthier could feel the burning wounds on his flesh. The marks left by her nails on his bare shoulders. It hurt a bit, but not as much as what he understand.

"So you're… gone?"

There was a note on his pillow, lying where _she_ should have been; he could see it from where he stood. He didn't know how he was still standing. Fran had been stressed up, almost scary. She had forced him to sleep with a spell and the rest was blank. Utterly blank.

He walked back to his bed; took the note in his hands, massaging his neck all along. He recognized the writing, the pretty letters and their soft curves. It reminded him of her. And at the same time, last night has been so not like her that it was like meeting a stranger. Who was he to believe? Yesterday's Fran or her writing?

His eyes fixed themselves on the letters, reading the words.

Focus, he thought, get a grip and focus!

_To Balthier, my sky pirate's partner,_

_My dear, I must apologize for yesterday. As you're reading those words, I'm far long gone. I had to go back to The Woods. Something very bad is happening within me and I can't let it go on. I still love you, and know I've acted the wrong way. I could have told you everything; you're considerate enough to understand, but… Balthier, I couldn't let you accompany me. I must walk this path alone. I'll come back, maybe with a surprise. I hope you'll like it. Wait for me, or not, do as you want, as I don't know how much time it will take for me to come back. I'd never wanted to admit it, but I changed to your contact. Humes are so different from all I've known. I thought I could resist you, after all, for me, you're still a little boy. But the roles have changed. I love you as a woman. But I'm still a Viera. I must… No, forget it. It's only goodbye, so… I'll see you around. Please, stay out of trouble while I'm not there to cover your back. I've already written way too much._

_Goodbye, Balthier_

_Fran, yours truly_

It was all there was to it. No kiss, no more promise. Only those few words, so well chosen. He could imagine her reflecting over her desk, watching him turning in his sleep as she thought of the better way to sentence her reasons. All was said, and nothing at all at the same time. _I__love__you__as__a__woman.__But__I__'__m__still__a__Viera._ Was it a reproach? Was she angry? Was she mad or simply sad to leave? Why couldn't he accompany her? When would he go somewhere she couldn't follow him? What could be happening within her? What surprise?

"What have I done?"

She'd never do anything like this before. Never. Did they go too far? Did he say something? No, it couldn't be that, she had stayed with him for so long, so why now?

"You had to flee like a thief to The Woods huh? Oww…"

He ran a hand through his hair and sat back on his bed. His body was hurting and he couldn't understand why. She had shut him asleep with a spell, but what could have happened after? It felt as if he had been through a storm without his security belt. He lied on the mattress, to see blood marks on the ceiling, and then he sat again to check his shoulders. His neck hurt a bit, but he realised the scars were there. If the airship had made a whole turn on itself during the night, he could have stumble on the ceiling before to fall back in his bed. That would explain that terrible pain he felt.

"Nono!" he called out.

His throat hurt too. And when his moogle came to answer his call, Balthier felt uneasy. Not because he was half naked, or because he had a headache. Fran wasn't there. She was gone. And he already missed her. He even worried about her. Where was his real self, always self-confident and sure of everything? He almost felt like crying. Where was Fran? Why did she have to run? She knew he loved her, didn't she? She knew he needed her, didn't she?

"What happened to the Strahl last night?" he asked.

His voice was steady, his hands weren't shaking, maybe he was still confident, and maybe his fear was just a little impression, nothing important.

"We've made a nice loop, captain, a perfect one, kupo. As lady Fran ordered."

Balthier's confidence fell apart. He almost repeated the moogle's words, but he managed to keep it cool.

"Alright, thank you Nono, I'm relieved to hear that."

At least, it meant that all this hurt were not the result of Fran beating him up. He couldn't believe he just thought she ever could… But still, she was gone, wasn't she? It was going to be so lonely without her around. He remembered how many times he had tried to make her jump in surprise by coming to her from behind or sneaking on her. Always to fail, miserably, but she had laughed all those times. She had responded to every kiss and caress, she had followed every order, every demand, every gaze, gave back every stare. Balthier tried not to get nostalgic, but it reminds him of the way his father had changed. How Cid had got too occupied with his experiments to remember he had a son. Had he forgot to take care of Fran? Had he took her for granted? Why was she gone? Why?

He made up his mind. He wasn't going to mope there any longer, even if his head was throbbing, even if he felt helpless. Balthier never was helpless. Not until he gave it a try.

"Nono, to the Ozmone plains. I got something to check out there."

"Alright sir, kupo!"

…

Balthier crossed the Ozmone plains in one hour. He got next to the Eruyt's village's entrance in half an hour after entering the Golmora Jungle. It was no big deal for him, after all he'd been through, but at this point, he had no way to get inside the Viera's village. He was tired, hungry and feeling let down. He alone couldn't enter this place. The mist was thick and radiated around everything. He tried to open the way, as Fran had one year and a half ago. The wall opposing him was too strong. But his will was still determinate enough for Balthier to persist. He drummed against the door, fired on it, yelled at it, used bombs, arrows, swords, axes, spears, staffs. Anything and everything falling under his hand was put to use. He even threw a malboro at it. To no avail.

"Maybe I should just knock at the door," he thought out aloud, looking for his breath.

He gently knocked, as a gentleman would do. But the door stood as a wall, closed, permanently and repulsively locked from him. He wouldn't get to see Fran before she decided it.

"If it's that way, then I'll wait here," he decided.

And so he waited. The first three hours went okay, but after that, he felt quite bored. He traveled inside the golmora jungle to kill time by killing monsters. Then he met a killer mantis which had cannibalized three or four of her comrades. He tried to defeat the monster and finally had to run for his life. He almost collapsed before Eruyt's entrance, seriously thinking of giving up to go back to the Strahl and his sky pirate's life. But Fran wouldn't win. He was going to understand what exactly was happening around here. She was going to tell him why she'd run away.

He slept in the Golmora jungle, to be waked up by monsters at each two or three hours. The next morning, when he opened his eyelids, it was to see the path to Eruyt opening before him.

"Balthier!"

He slowly got up to meet a running Fran who rushed into his open arms and burst in tears. He didn't think it would be that easy, or that she would cry, but to see her again was a relief. She wasn't wearing her armour; instead her body was covered with clothes of soft fabrics, hiding her features, something he'd never seen on a Viera before. Still, it was her, with her hair undone, her longs ears moving a bit on her head, her face against his shoulder, her body pressed against his. Slowly and hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her. She seemed as if she was about to break apart.

"Fran… Why are you… Why all of this? Why did you have to run?"

"I can't stop myself from crying. I'm helpless, I couldn't understand what was happening to me, what it meant for us, my sisters are rejecting me, and after all, they're right, I've gone too far, way too far, but it's too late for regret now, and I don't regret anything, I just…"

Since when was she talking that much? Why did she seem so frail and sad to him? She had always been strong, and proud of her choices. He admired her for her dignity, her practical behaviour. Now, she was loosing it.

"What's happening? Why are you crying?" he repeated.

She shivered in his arms and he stroked her shoulders and hair gently, hoping to bring her back to him, to their reality. Where was his Fran, what was happening to her?

"You don't understand already! Idiotic fool… After all we've done, you should at least guess what's happening! But it's the first time something like this happen, how could you understand? I'm… I'm… don't you feel it already?"

"Feel what?" he yelled back.

The tears were gone and they were fighting each other, for one of the first time. It almost felt right. They were both worried about the other. About the secret she was keeping from him and unable to tell aloud.

She took his hand and brought it to her stomach. Then he felt it. Her belly. It was round and bigger than the last time he had touched it. She was… No she couldn't…

"I'm pregnant, Balthier," she whispered.

His eyes widened with surprise. Was it all? Was it why she was getting all touchy and had to run from him?

"You said you had to walk this path alone. If you're… If we're going to have a child, we must face it together. I'm at fault too. Well, I don't mean it like that, but I don't really see how to phrase it…"

"Balthier, Viera aren't born from other Viera. We don't have mothers nor fathers. We're sisters, in The Woods. The Woods gives us birth. No flesh, no blood. I may look like a woman, I may react like one and all, but I was born from a tree. There never was a Viera who was pregnant. No one knew Hume and Viera were compatible. I don't know if… I don't know what's going to happen to me. Or to our child, or if there will be more than one child, or if it's even going to be a real child."

He removed his hands from her, backing away a bit. His mind was a maze. Was she telling him that… that she could give birth to a monster, half human, half plant? She looked afraid, panicked. Why? Wasn't the unknown their daily-life?

"Is that all?" he asked, steadying himself.

"What do you mean, all?"

"Fran, we've faced so much worse, it can't be that bad. Have you lost all of your faith in me?"

He took her hands in his, doing his best not to show her his own fear. It was understandable that his Fran would get emotional over this. Even if she loved him, even if he was everything to her, to realize you're pregnant when your own race isn't supposed to be… He was going to amend for this, it was the least he could do.

"We'll get through this, together. We're partners after all."

"But Balthier…"

He hugged her before she could say another words. It was so hard to see her like this. Defeated by the future, by what he had done to her. If only he'd knew.

"Fran, get a grip on yourself. The Strahl can take one or two more passengers. And we can get use to kids; after all, we've traveled almost a whole year with Vaan and Penelo…"

She smiled, reassured. This man was something else. She shouldn't have doubted him. He was right. It was going to be alright, as long as they stick together.

"Keep up that supportive role. It really suits you. And I'm gonna need it."

t.o b.e c.o.n.t.i.n.u.e.d

Well then, a little longer then the last one, and only one part of this. I had a hard time deciding what was my theory of Viera's birth in this. And why would Balthier and Fran be the first to meet such a difficulty? Well, in the game, the few Vieras out of the Woods weren't so in love with Humes, and there was only one who really was in love with a man. And we never get to know how far it went, as it is really not needed. The only FF where a couple had children was FFVII, with that flying moogle. A bunch of little, polygonal moogles… I know, I'm loosing it.

So now on, I want reviews, and criticisms, as it could help me in the next chapter. I think Fran was a little ooc, but I'm working harder on Balthier character, and it's difficult with this situation. Next chapter should be funnier. Hope you liked this one. It took me almost an hour to write Fran's letter. If you have any advice to help me with their way of talking –that's my worst problem in this fic- I'll take them with a smile, a wide, one million dollars smile. Any advice on any other subject would be great too. Well then, see ya all in next chapter, with the pregnancy and some surprises for Balthier!


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